The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced in a joint statement that there are no legal barriers preventing registered exchanges from facilitating spot crypto trading. The move is being hailed as a milestone in the integration of crypto markets into the traditional financial system.
According to the statement, national securities exchanges, derivatives markets, and foreign trading platforms may now facilitate trading in certain spot crypto assets. SEC Chair Paul Atkins emphasized that investors should have the freedom to decide where such assets are traded, while CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham described the decision as only the beginning, promising further steps to support market growth.
The decision comes as part of the SEC’s “Project Crypto” and the CFTC’s “Crypto Sprint” initiatives. Regulators stressed that principles of “fair and orderly markets” will be applied to crypto spot trading and invited registered platforms to engage directly with the agencies to discuss implementation details.
Experts believe this could pave the way for Bitcoin and Ethereum to be traded on major US exchanges such as Nasdaq, NYSE, and CME. Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck, said spot crypto trading on these venues could be seen soon. The move also aligns with President Donald Trump’s vision of making the US the “crypto capital,” marking a historic threshold for the industry.
